Snow may be swirling outside, but agriculture supporters will be indoors enjoying a hot meal while honoring past and present beef exhibitors, when the second annual Ionia Free Fair Agriculture Benefit Dinner and Auction gets underway Jan. 18 at the Steele Street Hall in Ionia.

Doors will open at 5 p.m., with dinner, including chili, bean soup, hot dogs, homemade bread and desserts, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $6 per person; children under 5 are free.

The evening will include a silent and live auction at 7:30 p.m., a 50/50 raffle, cash bar and music by DJ John Slater.

A 45-minute slide presentation by Becca Usher featuring photographs of past and present beef cattle and exhibitors at the Ionia Free Fair also will be available for viewing during the benefit, including several from Linda Harwood of when Harold Harwood was a fair superintendent in the 1930s, and photos donated by 4-H leaders.

"There are a number of neat old photos that will be really interesting for people," said Dennis Arnold, Ionia Free Fair board member. "Becca is going to make available DVDs to purchase of all these pictures, so someone can pick up a collection of all those old photographs."

Funds raised by the event will continue to support the return of draft horses to the Ionia Free Fair, as well as other agriculture events, Arnold added.

"We’re going to use proceeds for getting the large horse hitches and carts back for three days," he said. "We’re looking this year at possibly getting Haflingers – that’s a large pony – and large pony hitches and carts for three days."

Arnold said fair organizers also are working with the Michigan State University Block & Bridle Club to host a heifer jackpot show this year.

"People can bring heifers in and win cash prizes," he said. "It will probably be a day or two, but it would bring in a few beef cattle to the fair."

Local 4-H leader Katie Holcomb is planning to create a version of the Miracle of Life, where fair goers can watch farm animals give birth, to the Free Fair, and benefit proceeds will assist with this project, too.

"It was big at the state fair, and she’s very enthusiastic about it," Arnold said. "We’re going to start small with quail, ducks, chickens, rabbits, sheep and possibly a pig. We’ll set it up in one of those Quonsets, and it will be a really, really exciting event for the fair."

Like last year, any leftover funds will be used to improve the agriculture area on the Free Fair grounds. Last year’s projects included repairs, painting, hanging new doors in the Quonsets and fixing latches in the sheep barns.

Page 2 of 2 - The first fundraiser "far exceeded" the Free Fair board of directors’ expectations, said Arnold. The goal was $3,000 to $4,000, but the event brought in around $17,000. It was attended by 300 people.